Folding ladder



July 3, 1923.-

'//Y VENTOIQ, ALBERT s. p/xo/v, .3 1

2 Sheets-Sheet l S A; S. DIXON FOLDING LADDER Filed April 18, 1922 III Patented July 3, 192 3 ALBERT s.v Dixon, Los enemas,- CALIFORNIA.

romaine LADDER.

Application filed April 18, 1922. Serial No. 555,317.

To'all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, ALBERT S. DIXON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Les Angeles, Calif, have invented a certain new and useful Folding, Ladder, of which the,

following is a specification.

My object is to make a folding ladder which is adapted especially for the lower story of fire escape and for other purposes, and my invention consists of the novel features herein shown, described and. claimed.

A leading feature of my invention consists of a ladder having one side rail adapted to be rigidly mounted, rungs hingedly conthe ground.

Another leading feature consists of a landing having a floor, a railing extending upwardly from the floor, a folding ladder outside of the railing and extending downwardly from above the railing, and a rigid ladder extending" from the floor to the top ofthe railing.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective of a folding ladder and landing embodylng the principles of my invention, the ladder being folded as when out of use, and parts being broken away andshown in section.

Fig. 2 is a perspective on a reduced scale and showing the ladder unfolded for use.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. l is a fragmentary vertical section on the lines 4t of Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the upper end of the ladder unfolded, an intermediate position being shown in dotted lines.

F ig. 6 is a fragmentary rear elevation showing the ladder folded, parts being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 7 is a detail cross section on the line 7--7'of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary top plan of one of the ladder rungs as indicated by the arrow 8 in Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation as indicated by the arrow 9 in Fig. 8. i Y Fig. 10 is a cross section on the line 10-10 ofFig. 8. i

-Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail elevation i as indicated by the arrow 11 in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing in detail: 7 As shown the folding ladder 1 is mounted outside of'the landing 2 and the stationary ladder3 is mounted inside of the landing 2 and inside of the folding ladder 1.

The details of the folding ladder 1 areas follows The rigid side rail 4 is ada'ptedfto be connected to a wall 5 by 7 are pivotally connected to the side rail 4 by rivets 8. The folding side rail 9 is pivotally connected to the rungs 7 by rivets The side rail 4: consists of the angle anchors 6. The rungs irons 11 and 12 placed together face to face 2 with two flanges overlapping and secured together 'by rivets 13, so as to make a deep channel having a stiff ner the side rail 9 consistsof the angle irons 14C and 15 secured together by-rivet's 16. The if rigid side rail l'isone step or the length of a rung longer than the folding side rail 9 sothat when ends are in the same horizontal plane and back. In like manthe ladder is folded theupper when the ladder is unfolded the lowenfends are in'the same horizontalplane. A bumper 17 of hardwood or the like is secured in the channel and extendsslightly below the lower end of the rail 9 to make a non-metallic cushion to strike the sidewalk when the rail falls downwardly to unfold. The rungs 7 are made of flat iron. The dimension'por tions 18 are-stamped U-shaped and the flat ends are bent to form pivot eyes 19. A latch 20 is connected to the upper end of the rigid side rail 4 and consists of an ear. 21fitting in the-channel and secured by'a pivot pin 22, a handle 23 extending upwardly. from the ear 21, an arm 24 extending horizontally in line with the ear 21, a pin 25 fixed through the arm 24, a finger 26 extending downwardly in line with the handle 23, and a stop 27 extending backwardly from the lower end of the finger 26. The stop 27 engages the back of the rail 4 to hold the pin 25 from falling below its operative position. One end ofthe pin 25 is reduced to form a shoulder, and the operating rod 28 has'an eye-fitting upon the pin against theshoulder and held by acotter pin 29, and the rod has a handle 30. A notch 31 is formed in the upper end of the back of the rail 9 to receive the arm 2% and the pin 25 extends both ways from the arm and engages the side pieces of the rail 9 at the sides of the slot 81. The upper ends 82 of the sides of the rail 9 are rounded so the pin 25 will slide over the ends in folding and unfolding. Then the ladder is folded the pin 25 slides over the ends and falls into place and the ladder may be unlatched by manipulating either the handle 23 or 30. If'the pin 25 does not fall the rail 9 or the end of the upper rung will strike the finger 2-3 and force the pin downwardly. The finger 26 kicks the rail 9 out wardly and then the rail falls to unfolded. position. Obviously the ladder cannot be easily unlatched from the ground.

The rigid ladder 3 consists of side rails 35 and 36 and rungs 37 leading to the top of the railing 34. This ladder may be inside oi? the railing and itservcs as a means for climbing over the railing to get to the folding ladder. The folding ladder extends a considerable distance above the railing so that a person may cling to the folding ladder with the hands while getting from the rigid ladder to the folding ladder. The rigid ladder may extend to one side of the folding ladder to any desired extent. A Z- hook 38 is secured to the outer face of the railing to be engaged by the folding rail 9 when it falls, and this holds the upper end of the rail steady.

The side rails fold together so as to completely cover the rungs. The ladder thus constructed may be mounted in any place where the rail l can be made rigid.

The landing 2 consists of a floor 33 and a railing 3d adapted to be secured to a wall in the plane of the second story of a building and the fire escape from the upper floors may lead to this landingand there may be a door leading from the second floor to the landing.

I have shown the side rails i and 9 made of angle irons because it is easy to get the angle irons. Obviously these side rails may be made in one piece. Various other changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A second story landing having a floor and a railing extending upwardly from the floor, a folding ladder extending downwardly from above the railing and against the outside of the railing, and a rigid ladder extending from the floor to the top of the railing so that a person may climb up the rigid ladder over the railing to the folding ladder.

2. A side rail adapted to be rigidly mounted, rungs hingedly connected rail, said rungs having U-shaped dimension portions and fiat ends bent to form pivot eyes, a second side rail hingedly connected to the rungs and adapted to fold against the rigid rail and to unfold to bring the rails to operative positions, and a latch for'holding the rails folded.

3. A landing floor adapted to be mounted at a second story level, a railing extending upwardly from the landing floor, a side rail rigidly mounted outside of the railing and extending from above the railing downwardly, rungs hingedly connected to the rigid rail, a second side rail hingedly connected to the rungs and adapted to swing the rungs to horizontal positions and upwardly to folded positions, a latch for holding the second rail folded, a finger extending downwardly from the latch inside of the second rail so that w ren the latch is raised the linger will force the second rail outwardly, and a hook projecting from the railing to catch the second rail when it unfolds and to hold the second rail steady.

In a folding ladder, channel-shaped rails, rungs for connecting the side.

said rungs being stamped from flat metal and having U-shaped dimension portions, flat ends and pivot eyes, said pivot eyes fitting in the channels of the side rails; and rivets inserted through the side rails and through the pivot eyes.

5. In a folding ladder, a channel-shaped rigid side rail, a channel-shaped folding side rail, rungs connecting the side rails, an ear rails fitting in the channel at the upper end of the rigid side rail, a pivot pin holding the ear in place, a handle extending upwardly from the ear, an arm extending horizontally from the ear towards the folding side rail, a pin fixed through the arm, a finger extending downwardly in line with the handle, and'a stop extending backwardly from the lower end of the finger, the upper end of the foldside rail being notched to receive the arm and rounded so the pin will pass over the end of the rail and the folding side rail striking the finger will force the pin down to hold the ladder folded.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT s. DIXON.

to the rigid 

